Undergarments



R. L. BLAIR UNDERGARMENTS Dec. 31, 1963 Filed Dec. 18. 1961 United States Patent O 3,115,880 UNDERGARMENTS Ronald Leonard Blair, 2650 W. Belden Ave., Chicago, Ill. Filed Dec. 18, 1961, Ser- No. 160,031 4 Claims. cl. 128-567) This invention relates to improvements in undergarments, and more particularly to what is known as a foundation garment.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a foundation garment having resilient means so constructed and arranged that it will eliminate digging and poking to the wearer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a foundation garment which will distribute the control more evenly and which is more adaptable to the body by virtue of the spreading action at the upper end of the back portion.

Another object of this invention is to provide an undergarment which will prevent the spilling over of the flesh of the wearer and which is more commonly known as roll in sitting position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a foundation garment which adjusts itself to varying waistlines, and which by virtue of its construction Will permit the garment to fit several different figure types and will eliminate the necessity of the retail store and supplier of carrying two lengths of garments, which thereby reduces the stock of garments by approximately one-half and allows a quicker turnover of the stock.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view showing the girdle forming this invention, and more particularly a view of the rear or back portion of the undergarment;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view showing the feature of this invention, looking at same from the outside, as viewed in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on lines 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view taken from the inside of the garment, and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged View of a portion of the resilient member.

This invention is herein illustrated in connection with a girdle, although it will be understood that it may be used with corsets or any other type of foundation garments.

The undergarment 10 includes a front portion 12, which consists of a central panel 14 of non-stretchable material. A tape 15 is stitched to said central panel. To the opposite sides of the panel 14 are stitched, as at 16 and 18, elastic panels 20 and 22. The elastic panels 20 and 22 are stretchable horizontally, that is, only in the direction of the width of the undergarment.

The sides of the undergarment are formed by nonstretchable panels 24 and 26. Panel 24 is secured to elastic panel 22 by a line of stitching 28. Panel 26 is secured to elastic panel 20 by a line of stitching 30. Panel section 26 is divided vertically along a major portion of its length and has conventional zipper means or interlocking fasteners 32 for the purpose of facilitating getting into and out of the undergarment.

The rear or back of the undergarment, generally indicated at 34, comprises a central panel 36 which has an up and down or vertical stretch and two opposite adjoining panels 38 and 40 formed of horizontally stretchable material. Stretchable panel 38 is secured to side "ice panel 24 and to central panel 36 by lines of stitching 42 and 44 respectively. 'Stretchable panel 40 is secured to side panels 26 and 36 by lines of stitching 46 and 48.

The features forming this invention will now be described.

Resilient members are provided in the back portion 34 of the undergarment, which are stitched or secured in pockets to form a pair of spaced generally Y-shaped supporting members, designated generally by the numerals 50 and 52. Said supporting members are of identical construction, therefore only one will be described in detail.

Pockets are provided within the undergarment for the purpose of receiving and securing the resilient members. A pair of pockets are provided for receiving the pair of resilient members so that the pair form a generally Y configuration. One of the pockets 54 follows generally along the marginal edge of the panel 36 and said pocket, as best seen in FIGURE 4, is formed by securing a strip of material 56 to the inside of the garment along spaced lines of stitching 58. The companion pocket of each pair of pockets is also formed by securing a strip of material like 56 to the inside of the garment by spaced lines of stitching, like stitching 58. The companion pocket 60 starts at the top on the stretchable panel 38a spaced a distance from the top of pocket 54 and extends downwardly at an angle to adjacent the pocket 54 and then continues downwardly adjacent to and parallel with the pocket 54 so that both pockets 54 and 60 terminate on the same plane and somewhat lower than half the height of the undergarment. Each of said pockets receives a separate resilient member generally designated at 62, the details of which are best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, and which will be subsequently described. The two pockets 54 and 60* and resilient members therein form a generally Y configuration adjacent the marginal edge of the central panel 36.

A similar construction is formed adjacent the opposite marginal edge of the panel 36 and the numeral 50 designates such construction generally and need not be described since it is a duplicate of the construction just described.

The resilient members are all designated at 62 and are shown in greater detail in FIGURES 3 and 6. The resilient member consists of a helical Wire Whose coils 64 are flattened and pressed to overlay adjacent coils in a substantially flat plane. A resilient member 62 is inserted in each of the pockets so that the resilient member as- Sumes the shape and follows the outline of the pocket, as best shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 5. One of the resilient members, for example the member in pocket 54, follows the marginal edge of the panel 36 for a portion of its length. The other resilient member, for example in pocket 60, follows the configuration of pocket 60 so that both resilient members in their entirety form a Y configuration. When considering the upper portions of the re silient members they form a V shaped or forked configuration.

In addition to the above described resilient members, other resilient members like 62 are secured in the undergarment in other pockets formed in the undergarment. Each of said other pockets is formed by sewing to the inside of the undergarment a strip material along spaced lines of stitching, similar to that previously described. Such other pockets and resilient supports are identified by the numerals 16', 18, 28', 30', 42' and 46'. All of the resilient members are substantially equal in length, except for the resilient members in the front of the undergarment, designated by the numerals 16' and 18', which are shorter in length than the others. A border 66 is formed around the upper portion of the garment. Con- 9 ventional garter supports 68 are secured to the lower end of the garment.

The construction of the undergarment forming this invention accomplishes the following purposes. The generally Y-shaped, or which may be defined as the split resilient supports in the back portion of the garment, are such that the garment will spread on the body to eliminate the digging and poking action now common in other undergarments on the market which utilize conventional upright boning in the back thereof. Due to the Y-shaped spread or the split resilient members, a more uniform control is obtained.

This undergarment uses the split arm of a Y configuration to span a distance of approximately three inches of each of the elastic panels which are included in the rear of the undergarment, whereas conventional undergarments use just one support. Because of the spreading action of the resilient supports in this garment and the elimination of the standard three inch collar at the back of present day garments, there is a fitting variation of plus one minus one and one-half inches, allowing this garment to fit several different types of figures.

With this invention the garment may be moved up or down on the body to compensate for varying waistline heights. In a short waistline the garment is moved down and in a high waistline the garment is moved up. This feature will eliminate the necessity for a store to carry two lengths of garments, and will permit a store to cut its stock proportionately in one-half, allowing a quicker stock turnover and consequently a greater profit.

The spreading action of the forked or V-shaped resilient members in the elastic panels when a woman is in a sitting position spreads around the girth of the waistline and allows the flesh to fall into the undergarment, thus eliminating what is more commonly known as a roll in the sitting position, and as the woman stands up the resilient members forming this invention contract bringing the waistline back to its original dimensions in the standing position. By virtue of this construction the garment weighs considerably less than conventional garments, yet affords excellent comfort and control. This undergarment adjusts to varying waistlines.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing S from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an undergarment of the character described, including a front portion and a back portion, said back portion formed of a central panel and two oppositely positioned stretchable panels secured to said central panel, resilient means each secured in pockets formed in the back portion of said undergarment, one of said pockets being formed adjacent the marginal edge of the central panel and the other pocket extending into said stretchable panel, said other pocket extending from the top of the stretchable panel at an angle inwardly toward said first mentioned pocket and then extending adjacent to and parallel with said first pocket so that both said pockets and resilient members form a generally Y-shaped configuration.

2. An undergarment as set forth in claim 1 in which the front portion of the undergarment is provided with vertically extending resilient means.

3. An undergarment as set forth in claim 1 in which the resilient means comprises a helical Wire with coils flattened and pressed to overlie adjacent coils in a sub stantially flat plane.

4. An undergarment of the character described, including a front portion and a back portion, said back portion formed of a central panel and two oppositely positioned stretchable panels secured to said central panel, resilient means each secured in pockets formed in the back portion of said undergarment, one of said pockets being formed adjacent to marginal edge of the central panel and the other pocket extending into said stretchable panel, said other pocket extending from the top of the stretchable panel at an angle inwardly towards said first mentioned pocket so that both said pockets and resilient members form a generally V-shaped configuration.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 891,865 Sahlin June 30, 1908 2,653,322 Blair Sept. 29, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 396,657 France Apr. 17, 1909 

1. IN AN UNDERGARMENT OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, INCLUDING A FRONT PORTION AND A BACK PORTION, SAID BACK PORTION FORMED OF A CENTRAL PANEL AND TWO OPPOSITELY POSITIONED STRETCHABLE PANELS SECURED TO SAID CENTRAL PANEL, RESILIENT MEANS EACH SECURED IN POCKETS FORMED IN THE BACK PORTION OF SAID UNDERGARMENT, ONE OF SAID POCKETS BEING FORMED ADJACENT THE MARGINAL EDGE OF THE CENTRAL PANEL AND THE OTHER POCKET EXTENDING INTO SAID STRETCHABLE PANEL, SAID OTHER POCKET EXTENDING FROM THE TOP OF THE STRETCHABLE PANEL AT AN ANGLE INWARDLY TOWARD SAID FIRST MENTIONED POCKET AND THEN EXTENDING ADJACENT TO AND PARALLEL WITH SAID FIRST POCKET SO THAT BOTH SAID POCKETS AND RESILIENT MEMBERS FORM A GENERALLY Y-SHAPED CONFIGURATION. 